"Jjajan" Man Appears at His Own Fake Funeral... "Curious About Relatives' Reactions"

Belgian Man in His 40s Holds 'Fake Funeral'
"Wanted to Teach Life Lessons to Relatives"
Similar Incident in Brazil... More Backlash Than Sympathy

A man in his 40s in Belgium staged his own death and held a 'fake funeral,' then made a surprise appearance at the funeral hall by helicopter, sparking controversy. It is reported that he carried out this act to teach a lesson to distant relatives.

According to foreign media including the New York Post on the 14th (local time), TikTok creator David Batten (45) informed his wife and children in advance about his 'disguised death' plan and planned a fake funeral to see who would mourn him.

His daughter posted an obituary message on social media saying, "Father, rest in peace. We will not forget you," informing her father's TikTok followers of his death.

[Image source=Pixabay]

They held the fake funeral near Li?ge on the 10th, where dozens of Batten's relatives and acquaintances gathered to mourn him. Once a certain number of mourners had gathered, Batten descended from a helicopter and greeted the mourners, saying, "Welcome to my funeral." Some were relieved by Batten's return, while others were reportedly confused.

After criticism from followers poured in, Batten explained that it was to observe the reactions of relatives with whom he had become estranged. He said, "I was hurt because I was not even invited to family events and no one paid attention to me. We grew apart," adding, "I wanted to give them a life lesson not to regret things after someone dies."

A TikTok follower who attended the funeral also released a video of the event. The video showed mourners rushing toward Batten as he got off the helicopter. One mourner hugged Batten and sobbed. Batten said, "Even those who didn't come to the funeral contacted me," and added, "In the end, I won."

"I was curious who would mourn me"... 'Fake funeral' also held in Brazil

[Image source=Pixabay]

This is not the first case of staging one's death and holding a fake funeral. In January, a man in his 60s in Brazil was also criticized by acquaintances and family after faking his death.

The man's name is Bautazar Remus (60), who posted messages on his SNS that seemed to hint at a farewell to family and acquaintances. Afterwards, Remus's SNS profile displayed a notification stating, "On January 18th at 7:30 PM, a memorial service will be held for him at the Curitiba chapel."

The sudden news deeply saddened not only Remus's acquaintances but also his family. Especially, the family was shocked as they did not even know he was ill. Acquaintances also commented on Remus's post, saying, "What is going on all of a sudden?" and offered condolences.

However, on the day of the memorial service, Remus's voice was heard through speakers, and he actually appeared. In an interview with local media, he said, "I thought about this idea five months ago, and I wanted to look like I was really dead," adding, "I wanted to know who would actually come to my birthday and funeral."

He continued, "I sincerely apologize to my family, acquaintances, and many others," and asked for forgiveness, saying, "I did not want to hurt or upset anyone."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.